Lords of Despair
by UngratefulWolf
Summary: During their first confrontation, Magor reveals he placed a bit of his powers into the orbs before the Lords came to be. Now fueled by rage, anger and resentment, the Lords of Nature abandon their previous position to work under Magor, in search of self-justice for the hard work they've been putting. A dark era is rising on Gorm and Earth...
1. Prologue

"Lords of Nature, aren't you tired of being that fool's servants?"

The four children-turned-Gormitis raised their eyebrows. They came here for a fight, and Obscurio's new boss just threw their orbs in a lava vortex towards the Earth. They'd better hope they'd find a way to bring those back in, fighting the Lava Gormitis as humans and in public wouldn't be fun, even with their new powers.

"What are you up to, flame head?" snarked Toby. Far from getting angry, Magor chuckled.

"Your talents deserve to be recognized, it's time for Luminos and the Old Sage's reign to reach its end, and for the Gorm to have a new master. And as the master of the Gorm, I'd want nothing more than you as my heralds."

Shock could be read upon the Lords of Nature's faces. Magor was… negotiating their loyalty just so they'd help him take over the world?! This guy was completely nuts, why would they do that?!

"You led all those evil Gormitis to harm our families and this place!" called out Nick. "Once we get our orbs back, we'll-"

"You are right, child. But I did it for one reason only."

Spontaneously, the items in question resurfaced from the vortex, surprising the Lords of Nature as their respective orbs flew back to them.

"So that you will realize that once your job is done, the Old Sage won't let you be the Lords of Nature ever again." announced Magor, smirking. "I however always keep my promises."

The four heroes looked at what Magor brought in. This sounded too easy, he wouldn't take their powers away just to give them back right after! He must've had a trap in mind.

Unbeknownst to them and everyone else in the room, Magor wasn't giving them back unchanged. If he had used his powers to open the portal, he also amplified his past hold on them, making them ready for a new level of power.

For thousands of years now, even after he was gone, a remainder of his power stayed inside the orbs, following through the eras any potential host for their energy. Including the current Lords of Nature.

He wasn't lying when he said they were very important to him. After all, if it wasn't for all the power and experience they've been gathering ever since they first entered the Gorm, he wouldn't be as strong as he was now.

Another thing he wouldn't miss was the outrage and negativity those children felt instants before he was fully reformed. He had fed on those feelings for so long during his imprisonment, and they would soon embrace them too...

"Our orbs! That can't be real, you wouldn't give them up this easily!" called out Lucas.

"Try their powers, I've only looked over them for the entire time you four used them."

Obscurio smirked, seeing the confusion on their enemies' faces. His master told him what his experience away from the Gorm taught him, especially how malleable young spirits could be.

The Lords of Nature were children, with powerful emotions and a lot of affinities for strong feelings that could be exploited. All his master had to do was tell them the role he had in guiding them, even without their knowledge.

"Jessica, so mature and calm, but you wouldn't be able to live a good life without constantly worrying about the people of the Air under threat." said Magor, grinning as Jessica stepped back. "Nick, so brave and smart, yet all those efforts went nowhere if you had to give up your studies for a fight no one that mattered would ever acknowledge."

Nick gritted his teeth. No, Magor was trying to get inside his head. He had been stressed out about this kind of stuff before, he was able to overcome it. He didn't need to listen to this guy's advice… right?

"Lucas, always so generous and easygoing, yet all everyone seems to care about is how to use your kindness for their own benefit, only listening to your advice when it helps them more than you."

Lucas gulped. He didn't blame anybody, his friends did say he talked a lot but… that shouldn't be a reason to get mad whenever everyone didn't take him seriously, right? Even if people did rarely listen to him if it wasn't personal…

"And finally, Toby."

"You know nothing about me!"

"Oh, trust me, Lord of the Sea, I know all there is to know about you. So uplifting, courageous, caring and friendly to your peers, but if it wasn't your friends keeping you around, everyone would just ignore you, disregard you as one of them."

"You... you're just making that stuff up!"

"Am I? What about when your family kept expecting you to cause trouble, even when you made efforts to be on your best behavior? What about those children who threw you away as soon as you made one simple mistake out of ignorance? What about all those times you were mocked for not knowing better?"

"That… isn't true…"

"What isn't true is how you keep defending the side of the light when all these problems could've been solved had you been free of its tyranny! If you were still free to choose the way you led your lives, you wouldn't be there fighting me, running away from problems of a pathetic life dedicated to serving ancient forces making you fight for them like pawns."

Obscurio walked towards his master, observing the darkness growing. Not only inside the orbs but the hearts of those children as well. The most delightful darkness there is was fed by delusions, fear, and payback. For the first time, he'd get to witness the darkness in all four Lords of Nature together.

"You're the Lords of Nature, you've kept this dimension safe for so long, you've sacrificed so much of your time for it, working for those idiots who think they can make soldiers out of youngsters who never chose to take this role, and what have they ever done for you four in return?"

"..."

Magor smirked as they all growled, the pain of the lives he had the chance to witness coursing through them, bringing back memories they denied the resentment of.

Of course, if it wasn't for him and his dark magic, they'd ignore him. But he knew them much better than Obscurio did with only one, he knew the right keys to reach a young heart in need of guidance.

"Nothing! They couldn't care less about us!" said Nick, kicking a rock on the ground.

"We never even chose to be the Lords of Nature. We accepted that mission but at what cost?!" seethed Lucas.

"We can't even sleep straight without worrying about the end of the world, and what are they doing in that stupid light temple all day long?!" complained Jessica. "We're the ones working our butts and risking our lives to save everyone, what have they accomplished?"

"It's been a year, and after making us give up those powers, they think they just can tell us to go get them back again when it's _their_ responsibility to guard this entire island! We're done with them, all they've done is using us for their dirty job!" announced Toby, prompting the other Lords to follow.

Without adding another word, they took their orbs and felt the darkness inside them surround them, feeding onto feelings of betrayal, anger, and sadness, feelings they would rather have ignored in the past.

The light that powered their forms in the past was fading away, losing its shine as the shadows of the volcano replaced it instead.

"I can use my powers to make you and your orbs even stronger, Lords of Nature. As my Lords of Despair, you'll have the power to carry on my reign over the entire Gorm and command my armies, all I ask for in return is that you leave behind those fools of the light, and destroy any remnants of your time as their tools."

As the energy surrounding them revealed their forms, they had taken the colors of Lava Gormitis, their bodies darkened and reddened to symbolize their new allegiance. They opened their eyes, rage, and lust for revenge burning in the obscurity of their minds.

With the transformation done, a new goal and new information, they bowed down to their new master with respect. If Magor gave any real thought to who they were deep down, aside from former enemies, they'd be more than happy to hand over their loyalty to him.

* * *

**Most of you have probably guessed it, I am a fan of Miraculous, hence the Hawk Moth-y line.**


	2. No More Children's Games

They had left the volcano after returning the orbs, deeming them to be safer there than in the basement, ironically enough. Magor had looked after their powers without anyone, not even Luminos, suspecting a thing, he knew more than anyone else where the best place to take them was.

Surprisingly, neither Razzle, nor the Old Sage attempted to contact them after what they had done. Not that they intended to listen to either one of them ever again, especially now that they've changed sides.

For a while, they did feel they didn't know what they were doing. They knew they were Lords of Nature, but that title hardly meant anything aside from being responsible for cleaning up the Lava Gormitis' messes. Now that they were the leaders of the game, they'd only take orders from the one who gave them a choice.

All Magor asked from them was that they'd stop obeying Luminos' orders, that they'd ignore the Old Sage's words and that they wouldn't oppose the Lava Gormitis anymore. In return, not only would they be spared from going on missions when it'd be the least convenient, but this time, the Lava Tribe would follow their lead.

They were free to do whatever they wanted with their new powers, no more time limit, no more recharging, no more restraints. Being able to use them on Earth too was certainly a plus.

Not much of an explanation was needed when they had to go back to their class. A quick earthquake from Nick, some heavy wind from Jessica, mud forming all over the area their classmates were in thanks to some teamwork from Toby and Lucas, and their teacher was all too happy to see them safe and sound.

Although they did almost get in trouble for their attitude on the bus, it didn't matter. No one could tell them what to do now, they should've met with Magor way sooner.

Was this why Obscurio was so loyal to him? They thought it was because he created the codex Obscurio used before, or because it was thanks to his knowledge that they were both back into the Gorm. They had never considered for one second their enemies had a valid reason to stick together.

They were kids, weren't they? So why take on such a role because fate, or an old man, told them to? Magor was sketchy for sure, but he at least gave them a _choice_.

What were they doing this for? Their planet, maybe. But they had to put their own lives on the line for a battle that would've stopped if they listened sooner. They would hear what the Lava Tribe had to say now that they realized they underestimated them.

It was night, they needed to meet up and talk about what they'd do next. They were used to sneaking out, doing it with powers would be even more fun.

* * *

The Lord of Evil smirked as he observed the way his new soldiers were behaving. From Volcano Mountain, he could see they were enjoying themselves.

Jessica wasn't so hard to convince. She was one of the strongest Lords of Nature, yet just like her element, it could be so easy to see through her. She prided herself for keeping her cool at all situations, when it became obvious she could only handle so much pressure before letting her struggles show.

Nick was clever, hard-working, habile with his knowledge and strength, but like so many before him, this type of skills easily went to waste. When it was underappreciated like Nick's talents were, frustration easily came to be. If he didn't receive the recognition he needed from his previous master, the satisfying praise of his new status would fit him like a glove.

Then there was Lucas, the most devoted member of their little band, who would do anything to protect plants and animals alike. His bravery was boundless, but when exposed to true fear, he was as vulnerable as a fragile leaf. His concern over everyone around him only made his turnaround even more delightful, when he finally understood most of his benevolent actions were easily disregarded by people other than his friends. And if not by his friends, he now knew he could be seen as a tool, a nuisance, rather than a person.

And finally, Toby. He was the most complex member of the Lords of Nature. In direct opposition to the Lava Tribe, his power over water stopped so many plans the volcano's inhabitants attempted to perform. However, he was very much flawed himself.

Arrogant, cocky, a jokester, a smug brat that took everything like it was a game. It certainly sounded like he could've been on their side sooner, his behavior akin to Lavion, Orrore, Magmion, Fiery Hammer and so many others, if it weren't for his morals and element.

Thankfully, he knew what secret Toby kept buried behind all that pride. Although he was a warrior like his partners, he wasn't as brave, as smart, as calm and serene as the rest of them, and he knew it. Confidence and humor were a good mask to hide such awareness, as otherwise, he would've been much easier to manipulate.

Yet Obscurio's words about Toby himself meant much more. The Lord of the Dark himself experienced the boy's feelings and resentments, and for all it took to be a fierce warrior, there was none of that on Earth. Compared to the Gormiti he could become, there was only a coward, a weakling, someone who relied on others to forget about what it meant to know he had nothing else to offer.

They all refused to see who they'd be if they embraced their negative emotions rather than letting their rage and hatred die down to Luminos' words. Such powerful energy, fueled by a wonderful amount of hatred both in and out, was a source of admiration for the Dark Tribe, who would've thought the Lords of Nature would be the ones to share it?

Predictably, dark magic and repressed feelings were intoxicating, empowering, so tempting and irresistible once they've had a taste. A new door of opportunities opened itself to them, they could become so much more in Magor's hands than the Old Sage's.

They'd bring terror on the Gorm, showing to everyone what Nature was able to do in the hands of forces the old fool had forbidden in the past. It was the new Lords of Despair's time to shine.

* * *

"Are you sure we're not too exposed out there?"

"It's exposed, that's _why_ it's perfect. No one would expect us to be there so late, they'd think our parents took us out with them."

Venture Falls was fun at night, some shops were still open while the rest of the town was asleep. They saw older people, young adults and high schoolers, hang around like they had a reason to be there.

Wandering without a care for anyone other than themselves, going with the flow, forgetting about all worries of the daily life. The four Lords knew they too would act the same way growing up, looking for pleasures in life they wouldn't allow themselves in the day.

Going out for drinks whenever they'd like, walking around, doing a bunch of nothing, dumping whatever they had on their minds and relaxing, no one else around to tell them otherwise.

This is what freedom felt like.

"So we're just gonna leave the orbs there?" asked Lucas.

"Old Sage and Razzle would find them if we took them with us, good luck hiding them when he's probably watching us." answered Nick.

"I could never get a good glimpse of Volcano Mountain after the Eclipse happened a year ago, but he just showed up before we got in. His powers are stronger than what we were used to fight." said Jessica.

"Think it was a good idea to trust Magor? I mean, he is Obscurio's boss after all."

"We won't know what he's up to if we turn our backs on him now." said Toby. "Besides, he offered to give us our orbs back. I doubt he'd risk losing them if he planned to backstab us right after."

"This feels like a weird game of volley." said Lucas, sipping some of his smoothie. "One second, we're on our own against Magmion, then Luminos and Obscurio are there. And the next time it happens…"

"...Magor comes back and we're working with the Lava Gormitis." finished Nick. "I know, we're stuck in a real mess."

"We still haven't checked our new powers yet." said Toby. "We got something even tougher than the light armors now. Think Magmion will be mad if we roughen up his troops a bit?"

"He'll be even madder to know we're allowed to do it this time." snorted Jessica.

* * *

The magma Gormiti was genuinely confused as to what he was hearing and what he had witnessed.

The Lords of Nature were under their control now, corrupted by Magor's powers and operating under the Lava Gormitis' watch… so why let them go away? They should be tearing down the rest of the Tribes and taking over lands for their new masters instead of going back to their houses like normal humans and forget any of this happened.

He would not question his master's orders, as he proved many times before that he'd let himself perish for Obscurio if that's what his master requested. He lived to serve Obscurio and would comply to Magor should he be told to.

Except… for once, he had absolutely no understanding of the meaning behind the master's intentions. They had dreamed of getting hold of the Lords' powers for so long. They had their powers, they had the Lords themselves now, so why let them roam freely?

"They aren't used to their new bodies yet, Magmion. Give them time before thinking we can employ their forces and they'll come to us on their own." explained Obscurio.

"But Master, their minds are ours to manipulate, we won't need to wait if we tell them what to do. Isn't it dangerous to let them go back to their people? Being exposed to them could snap them out of it."

"Far from that, they were sent there _because_ it's the only thing that could make them go back to who they used to be."

"I'm… not sure I understand, Master."

"The answer is quite simple, Magmion." said Magor, leaving his new heralds' orbs to enlighten the other fiery Gormiti. "The Earth is a source of problems as much as it is to humans as the rest of the Gorm can be to us. A place the Lords are used to is bound to ignite some tension with their new roles."

"Tension? Do you mean, they'll wreck their own homes for our profit? What purpose would that have?"

"Not that, you imbecile!" snapped Obscurio. "The Lords of Nature have used their time in the Gorm to abandon their Earthly occupations. For them, going after us and beating you and the rest of our army down was almost a form of… escapism of sorts."

"Fighting… was their way of running away from reality? That sounds both like bravery and cowardice."

"Indeed. You would've guessed that they cannot stay away from either world for too long. Keeping up the mask of being normal, meaningless humans for hours at a time, awaiting the next time they'd have to leave to keep you occupied. Then, should they not return in time, the consequences shall be more severe. Just imagine how a year away from the Gorm could've affected their young minds…"

Magmion paused to ponder over Obscurio's words. The Lords lived off battling, which sounded noble enough in itself. However, the way he made it sound, it almost seemed like an addiction, some type of craving for something new. Humans weren't as combative as they used to be, they were more civil than Gormitis nowadays.

But the Lords of Nature were both humans _and_ Gormitis at the same time. So it was evident that if given the chance to show their skills and live beyond the daily grind Earth had to offer, they'd choose going on adventures over staying powerless in human form any day.

"Without the power those orbs gave them, they must be extremely frustrated and impatient to battle again." he concluded. "And giving them back was the perfect way to earn their loyalty, I should've understood far earlier. My apologies, Master."

"It's not simply their loyalty, Magmion." said Magor. "The more they're separated from the Gorm, the more they'll wish they would explore it again. After so long, they would not let the opportunity to go back there pass by. Should they keep being forced to return to Earth, they'll only tire from that pathetic dimension more and more until they make their decision…"

"From now on, the volcano shall be welcome to them for as long as Master Magor desires." said Obscurio. "They'll come to us from their own volition, as they know the Old Sage would never let them wield their powers while they're in our ranks. Regardless of the trouble they caused in the past, we still all share something in common when it comes to power."

"The Old Sage… should we not worry he might try to retrieve their powers from them?"

"Not to worry." said the Lord of Evil, grinning as the four Medallions floated in a ball of darkness he had summoned. "He could've used these to open a gate, however small the chance might be, and contact the Lords of Nature. But as they've willingly surrendered these symbols of loyalty towards the light, my dark magic shall accompany them and protect them from that old fool's tricks."

He dispelled the four items before observing the lava pool once again, grinning as he saw the young Lords of Despair run around the dark streets of the human town, mischief readable on their faces. Just like Obscurio, once they'd get to witness where darkness got its true appeal from, they'd never let it go.

It wasn't love towards their home, it wasn't heroism, it wasn't self-sacrifice that could easily influence strong minds like theirs now. They could be reasoned with or blackmailed, it's only when one dug deep enough and found what they kept underneath that they'd reveal their true colors.

Once the sun set down, the night was a lovely shade of dark over the beings it hid inside.


	3. Making Yourself Heard

Proud, confident, pitiless and heartless. No regrets, cold cruelty and no care for the past, mercenaries with boundless power and a burning rage to spare.

Such was the behavior the Lords of Despair adopted. They always thought it looked ridiculous with the Fire Gormitis doing it (mostly because they always broke character to do their lame supervillain gimmicks in the middle), but it honestly fit them like a glove.

Their parents took it with mixed reactions when they came for breakfast.

Jessica had the most trouble getting out of table, not wanting to destroy the kitchen no matter how much she wanted to. Her parents showered her with questions she had disregarded before leaving.

Lucas on the other hand had it pretty easy, his parents only slightly concerned by the way he looked. They heard it'd happen sooner or later for kids his age, they simply never expected Lucas to do the same with how usually kind and respectful he was.

Which also concerned Nick's parents, as while Toby did it a while ago, they never thought Nick would be one to try and look "rough". Their children practically transformed overnight, behaving much differently from the usual.

If it wasn't enough, last night, an explosion took place in the middle of town. One of the malls had been destroyed through unknown means, but from what witnesses said on TV, they had seen a full-blown storm rise inside the building.

People feared arson attacks, as no one knew how the incident came to be. Some chalked it up to the place's bad plumbing, others suspected someone was behind the problem. The young Lords almost felt guilty not to tell them they were responsible.

Well, it was mostly Jessica's idea. She had insisted on a makeover after their latest turnaround and they wanted to test out their new powers at the same time. Doing it for clothes was dumb, but they didn't really complain.

For measure's sake, they even left some rubble inside the shops as to not make their "purchases" look suspicious. If a pair of clothes suddenly disappeared without a trace and word got out, people would know who to accuse once they'd step foot outside. There was no footage of their deed, it was kinda fun to forget about the rules for an instant.

With some luck, it'd stay that way. They'd have to look out for themselves and deal with unnecessary natter people would give them, but it was worth it in the end, they didn't need others' opinions anyway.

As far as they were concerned at the moment, only Magor's word mattered, and it only went in their direction. They weren't surprised Obscurio and Magmion never tried talking it through with them, they were pretty dense in comparison to their master.

Wouldn't matter now, they had more allies to order around than enemies to fight, no one else to play the boss.

* * *

"What is this, Lord Magmion?!" exclaimed Armageddon. "Why aren't the Lords of Nature our enemies anymore?"

"It means what it means. Master Magor gave them a better purpose after our last encounter." explained the Lava Gormiti. "Now I know we've had our differences in the past, but we're expected to show them our camaraderie until Master Obscurio says otherwise, so you better all be on your best behavior."

"Is this some kind of joke?" asked Cyclops. "The Lords of Nature never showed an ounce of concern for the Lava Tribe, now we're supposed to believe they've turned over a new leaf? Where are they anyway, we haven't seen them in a year!"

"Right behind ya, Mesmero."

The fierce soldiers turned to witness the four children enter the cave, not even transformed as if they were entering a playground rather than a battlefield. If what they heard was true, then their orbs were with Magor and they wouldn't be able to transform with those anymore.

_But_, if what Lord Magmion also told them was _also_ true, then not only could the Lords fight without those orbs now, but they'd be helping them instead of fighting them. Could that really be true?

Though while they heard humans changed clothes when they felt like it rather than requiring evolution like Gormitis, they certainly didn't remember them being so… gloomy. Not that they didn't like it.

Nick was wearing a black and dirty yellow shirt with torn sleeves, a pair of shirts with stitches here and there, overall looking like he came out of a fight if it wasn't for his glasses being intact.

Lucas' dreads were messy, he wore a dark green shirt exposing his neck with grey spiked pants, resembling thorns, and with a spike collar to match.

Jessica now wore a black jacket, clashing with the usual white that came with her Gormiti forms and the outfit she wore over a year ago. She still wore her earrings, but her hair was down and she now had a halter top and similarly torn out jean shorts and maroon-colored boots.

Toby was the one whose style changed the least. While he did wear a black jacket and some cool boots and leather jeans to match, his hair and face still looked the same. He himself didn't think he'd wear these again, he was the only one to already own what he wore.

With some retrospective, Obscurio had a sense of style, even if Toby didn't necessarily want to give off an impression of "terror" and "daredevilry" at first. Most soldiers looked at them all cross-eyed (well, those who had more than one eye did), remembering them looking brighter.

"Hope you didn't miss us too much." teased Lucas. "'cause we sure did. Been wanting to see your freaky faces for a while."

His joke did not go through all that well, only his friends enjoyed it. Firespitter seemed ready to roast him on the spot.

"Don't think you're so clever, Lord of the Forest!" he shouted back. "Lord Magor may have forgiven your deeds, but we haven't forgotten the thorns you were in our side."

"You're doing puns now?" said Nick, equaling his friend's attitude. They were usually the calmest and most mature ones in the group, this was also new.

"Enough chit-chat." said Magmion.

His four former enemies walked up to him, his soldiers still wary of their presence. They'd have to reaffirm themselves as "heroes" to these guys too if they wanted to get things done, for now they were awaiting orders.

"Does Magor have anything for us?" asked Jessica.

"That's what you came here for?" asked Magmion, talking to them as if they were old companions. "Master Obscurio told me you'd be alerted if your help was needed, but should you arrive, he instructed me to give you these."

He extended his left arm's claw, releasing yellow orbs from it that materialized into the Lords' hands. Four red stones, each with a symbol of the Lords' respective tribes, appeared.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Relics we previously took from your Nations, they hold a small figment of your elements should you need them to transform. You don't need your orbs anymore, right?"

"Yeah, thanks!"

They took the stones in question and held them tight as they formed a circle, extending their hands as they readied themselves.

"For the power of darkness!"

"Erupting Power of Stone!"

"Unremitting Power of the Forest!"

"Strenuous Energy of Water!"

"Interminable Energy of Wind!"

Golden energy surrounded them, reminding them for a brief instant of previous times, when Luminos was still lending them his strength. As much as they did feel bad for the guy, they wouldn't forgive him for using them yet.

Their elements came out of the stones, covering their bodies with black, yellow and red armors, resembling their new allies' colors. It was the same as they normally did, except a pleasant warmth came along with it.

As the light faded, they proudly stood in their new bodies, earning several admirative "Ooooh!"'s from Lava Gormitis nearby. New looks weren't enough, they wanted to show their powers off.

At least, it made the rest of them ease up. They were _oh so very wrong_ to do so.

"Since we got nothing better to do, I suggest we train a bit around here. What do you think?" said Toby.

"Sounds like a plan." agreed Jessica. "Where do you think we should start?"

"By getting some training dummies." he answered, sending a sadistic smile to most soldiers that were looking at him.

"Great idea!"

It took the volcano's inhabitants exactly five seconds before reacting to Toby's decision, but before they got near him, Magmion raised a clawed hand in his soldiers' direction.

"May I remind you that Lord Obscurio himself requested that should the Lords of Despair demand assistance, you'd provide it?"

"But…"

"We thought…"

A common gulp was shared around the Fire Nation that evening. Human children could indeed be so cruel when given the power to be, making them wonder if the Lords of Nature were previously going easy on them.

One thing was for sure, they truly were no different from their usual bosses when it came to tossing them around like ragdolls. The Lords of Despair would fit right in.

* * *

They were in for trouble after spending the entire day out, though they didn't care. Their parents would probably give them the lecture of the decade once they were home, they'd deal with their teachers first.

Surprisingly, the first one to greet them once they entered the school building and the first one to actually address them wasn't their teacher, but Ike.

"You weirdos out of a costume party?" he mocked, looking at their outfits.

"Yeah, we wanted a clown costume but you already took it with you this morning." retorted Nick.

"Watch it, Tripp. I don't know what's up with you all going emo, but that won't make you look tougher or be tougher." he warned.

Aware that the blonde bully would not back down from pestering his brother, Toby stepped forward, sending Ike a death glare as his hand shook. One little wave, and he'd be gone in an instant.

Surprisingly, Jessica grabbed his arm.

"Don't waste your energy on him, Toby. We got better to do than hanging around this idiot."

"But Jess! I was just-"

She gave him an understanding look, making him sigh as he put his hand down. No need to blow their secret off to a loser like Ike, they'd get him another day.

"You are really weirder than the usual, maybe Paula was right about you being aliens…"

Out of impatience, the Lords of Air and Water sent him another glare, except their eyes had turned orange and their pupils shrunk into a narrower shape. For a second, they weren't humans anymore.

For a second, Magor's might showed itself in their faces. For a second, Ike felt the cold touch of death from behind. In a second, any other snide remarks he had faded off.

Both Lords pushed him aside, followed by Nick and Lucas. Ike shook his head, realizing he wasn't done.

"Hey, where do you think you-"

He had grabbed Lucas' exposed back, and his arm suddenly burned. He made a surprised sound as he shook his hand off, looking at his palm. It's as if he touched poison ivy instead of Lucas, who seemed fine and even smirked at his failure.

Before he could add anything else, Nick, of all people, grabbed him by the shirt.

"One advice, Pickney. If talking big and intimidating others is all you can do, drop it." he warned, cold eyes glaring from behind glasses. "The Archaeology Club could do without you if you're still looking for trouble, anyone can do what you do. You're not special."

Ike was confused at Nick's words, but was already too creeped out by what he went through in the last few seconds to actually care. As he tried to push the brunette away, rather than flesh, it felt like he had punched a rock.

Moreover, Nick didn't even blink when he was hit. Just what was wrong with these guys?!

He was thrown back onto the ground, left to hold his injured arm in pain. He looked up, seeing his classmates leave without even sending him a glance. Other students helped him up as a fuss started in the school halls.

Never before had those four kids ever stood up to anyone this way, or acted this way at all. They were usually more discreet, they had changed overnight. Weird weather and stuff happening in town had stopped over a year ago.

Now that it was back, their schoolmates were the newest ones affected. And far from minding it, the Lords basked in the feeling of terror they'd soon spread over the town.

**Omake:**

Obscurio stared down at the kids. They either got a new haircut or they wore new things. Or a bit of both.

"Why do you look like that?"

"If we're gonna be evil Lords of Nature, we gotta look the part." explained Nick.

"Understandable. Looking good."

"Thanks!"

"By the way," he stopped, looking at Toby's outfit, "who won that school raffle for the new hockey team's outfits last time I went on Earth?"

"Me." said Lucas, raising his hand.

"...I see." said Obscurio. "If you ever betray us, the Lord of the Forest will be the first one to die."

"Hey what?!"


End file.
